Sausage & Chicken Penne in Rose Sauce

Here’s a solid sausage & chicken penne in rose sauce that lands in that creamy, slightly tangy, restaurant-style zone without being complicated.

🍝 Sausage & Chicken Penne in Rose Sauce

🛒 Ingredients (serves 4–6)

Protein

2 chicken breasts (or 3 small), sliced into bite-size strips

2–3 Italian sausages (mild or hot), casings removed and crumbled

Pasta

400 g penne (about 1 standard box)

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, finely diced

3–4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp chili flakes (optional, but recommended)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 can (796 ml / 28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 cup heavy cream (or 18% cooking cream for lighter version)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)

Salt to taste

Optional upgrades

Fresh basil or parsley

Splash of white wine (1/4 cup)

1 tsp sugar (if tomatoes taste sharp)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cook the pasta

Boil penne in well-salted water until just al dente

Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining

2. Brown the meats

Heat olive oil in a large pan

Cook sausage first until browned and slightly crispy

Add chicken and cook until golden and fully done

Remove both and set aside

3. Build the base

In the same pan, add butter

Sauté onion until soft (3–4 min)

Add garlic, chili flakes, Italian seasoning

Cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant

4. Make the tomato base

Pour in crushed tomatoes

Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally

Season with salt, pepper, and optional sugar

5. Turn it into rose sauce

Lower heat

Stir in cream slowly

Add Parmesan and mix until smooth and silky

If too thick, loosen with a bit of pasta water

6. Combine everything

Add chicken + sausage back into sauce

Toss in cooked penne

Stir until fully coated and glossy

7. Finish & serve

Taste and adjust salt/pepper

Top with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs

🔥 Pro Tips (this is where it levels up)

Let the sausage get real colour—it drives most of the flavour

Don’t boil the cream hard; just gentle heat

A tiny splash of pasta water is the secret to that clingy restaurant texture

If you want it “Cape Breton bold,” add a pinch of smoked paprika or chili oil at the end